Nostra Aetate:
Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions

(October 28, 1965)

1. In this age of ours,
when men are drawing more closely together
and the bonds of friendship between different
peoples are being strengthened the Church
examines with greater care the relation which
she has to non-Christian religions. Ever
aware of her duty to foster unity and charity
among individuals, and even among nations,
she reflects at the outset on what men have
in common and what tends to promote fellowship
among them.

All men form but one community
This is so because all stem from the one
stock which God created to people the entire
earth (cf. Acts 17:26), and also because
all share a common destiny, namely God. His
providence, evident goodness, and saving
designs extend to all men (cf. Wis. 8:1:
Acts 14:17: Rom. 2:6 7: I Tim. 2:4) against
the day when the elect are gathered together
in the holy city which is illumined by the
glory of God. and in whose splendor all peoples
will walk(cf. Apoc 21:23 ff.).

Men look to their different
religions for an answer to the unsolved riddles
of human existence. The problems that weigh
heavily on the hearts of men are the same
today as in the ages past. What is man? What
is the meaning and purpose of life? What
is upright behavior, and what is sinful?
Where does suffering originate, and what
end does it serve? How can genuine happiness
be found? What happens at death? What is
judgment? What reward follows death? And
finally, what is the ultimate mystery, beyond
human explanation, which embraces our entire
existence, from which we take our origin
and towards which we tend?

2. Throughout history even
to the present day, there is found among
different peoples a certain awareness of
a hidden power, which lies behind the course
of nature and the events of human life At
times there is present even a recognition
of a supreme being or still more of a Father.
This awareness and recognition results in
a way of life that is imbued with a deep
religious sense. The religions which are
found in more advanced civilizations endeavor
by way of well-defined concepts and exact
language to answer these questions. Thus
in Hinduism men explore the divine mystery
and express it both in the limitless riches
of myth and the accurately defined insights
of philosophy. They seek release from the
trials of the present life by ascetical practices,
profound meditation and recourse to God in
confidence and love. Buddhism in its various
forms testifies to the essential inadequacy
of this changing world. It proposes a way
of life by which men can with confidence
and trust, attain a state of perfect liberation
and reach supreme illumination either through
their own efforts or by the aid of divine
help. So. too, other religions which are
found throughout the world attempt in their
own ways to calm the hearts of men by outlining
a program of life covering doctrine, moral
precepts and sacred rites.

The Catholic Church rejects
nothing of what is true and holy in these
religions. She has a high regard for the
manner of life and conduct, the precepts
and doctrines which, although differing in
many ways from her own teaching, nevertheless
often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens
all men Yet she proclaims and is in duty
bound to proclaim without fail, Christ who
is the way, the truth and the life (Jn. 1:6).
In him, in whom God reconciled all things
to himself (2 Cor. 5:18­19), men find
the fullness of their religious life.

The Church therefore, urges
her sons to enter with prudence and charity
into discussion and collaboration with members
of other religious. Let Christians, while
witnessing to their own faith and way of
life, acknowledge, preserve and encourage
the spiritual and moral truths found among
non-Christians also their social life and
culture.

3. The Church has also a
high regard for the Muslims. They worship
God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful
and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth,[1]
who has also spoken to men. They strive to
submit themselves without reserve to the
bidden decrees of God, just as Abraham submitted
himself to God's plan, to whose faith Muslims
eagerly link their own. Although not acknowledging
him as God, they worship Jesus as a prophet,
his virgin Mother they also honor, and even
at times devoutly invoke. Further, they await
the day of judgment and the reward of God
following the resurrection of the dead. For
this reason they highly esteem an upright
life and worship God, especially by way of
prayer, alms­deeds and fasting.

Over the centuries many
quarrels and dissensions have arisen between
Christians and Muslims. The sacred Council
now pleads with all to forget the past, and
urges that a sincere effort be made to achieve
mutual understanding; for the benefit of
all men, let them together preserve and promote
peace, liberty, social justice and moral
values.

4. Sounding the depths of
the mystery which is the Church, this sacred
Council remembers the spiritual ties which
link the people of the New Covenant to the
stock of Abraham.

The Church of Christ acknowledges
that in God's plan of salvation the beginning
of her faith and election is to be found
in the patriarchs. Moses and the prophets.
She professes that all Christ's faithful,
who as men of faith are sons of Abraham (cf.
Gal. 3:7), are included in the same patriarch's
call and that the salvation of the Church
is mystically prefigured in the exodus of
God's chosen people from the land of bondage
On this account the Church cannot forget
that she received the revelation of the Old
Testament by way of that people with whom
God in his inexpressible mercy established
the ancient covenant. Nor can she forget
that she draws nourishment from that good
olive tree onto which the wild olive branches
of the Gentiles have been grafted (cf. Rom.
11:17­24). The Church believes that Christ
who is our peace has through his cross reconciled
Jews and Gentiles and made them one in himself
(cf. Eph. 2:14­16).

Likewise, the Church keeps
ever before her mind the words of the apostle
Paul about his kinsmen: "they are Israelites,
and to them belong the sonship, the glory,
the covenants, the giving of the law the
worship, and the promises; to them belong
the patriarchs, and of their race according
to the flesh, is the Christ" (Rom. 9:4­5),
the son of the virgin Mary. She is mindful,
moreover, that the apostles, the pillars
on which the Church stands, are of Jewish
descent, as are many of those early disciples
who proclaimed the Gospel of Christ to the
world.

As holy Scripture testifies,
Jerusalem did not recognize God's moment
when it came (cf. Lk. 19:42) Jews for the
most part did not accept the Gospel; on the
contrary, many opposed The spreading of it
(cf. Rom. 11:28). Even so, The apostle Paul
maintains that the Jews remain very dear
to God. for the sake of the patriarchs since
God does not take back the gifts he bestowed
or the choice he made.[2] Together with the
prophets and that same apostle, the Church
awaits the day, known to God alone, when
all peoples will call on God with one voice
and "serve him shoulder to shoulder" (Soph.
3 :9 cf. Is. 66:23; Ps. 65:4; Rom. 11:11­32)

Since Christians and Jews
have such a common spiritual heritage, this
sacred Council wishes to encourage and further
mutual understanding and appreciation. This
can be obtained, especially, by way of biblical
and theological enquiry and through friendly
discussions.

Even though the Jewish authorities
and those who followed their lead pressed
for the death of Christ (cf. John 19:6),
neither all Jews indiscriminately at that
time, nor Jews today, can be charged with
the crimes committed during his passion.
lt. is true that the Church is the new people
of God, yet the Jews should not be spoken
of as rejected or accursed as if this followed
from holy Scripture. Consequently, all must
take care, lest in catechizing or in preaching
the Word of God, they teach anything which
is not in accord with the truth of the Gospel
message or the spirit of Christ.

Indeed the Church reproves
every form of persecution against whomsoever
it may be directed. Remembering, then, her
common heritage with the Jews and moved not
by any political consideration, but solely
by the religious motivation of Christian
charity, she deplores all hatreds, persecutions,
displays of antisemitism leveled at any time
or from any source against the Jews.

The Church always held and
continues to hold that Christ out of infinite
love freely underwent suffering and death
because of the sins of all men, so that all
might attain salvation. It is the duty of
the Church, therefore, in her preaching to
proclaim the cross of Christ as the sign
of God's universal love and the source of
all grace.

5. We cannot truly pray
to God the Father of all if we treat any
people in other than brotherly fashion, for
all men are created in God's image. Man's
relation to God the Father and man's relation
to his. fellow­men are so dependent on
each other that the Scripture says "he
who does not love. does not know God" (I
Jn. 4:8).

There is no basis therefore,
either in theory or in practice for any discrimination
between individual and individual, or between
people and people arising either from human
dignity or from the rights which flow from
it.

Therefore, the Church reproves,
as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination
against people or any harassment of them
on the basis of their race, color, condition
in life or religion. Accordingly, following,
the footsteps of the holy apostles Peter
and Paul, the sacred Council earnestly begs
the Christian faithful to "conduct themselves
well among the Gentiles" (I Pet. 2:12)
and if possible, as far as depends on them,
to be at peace with all men (cf. Rom 12:18
) and in that way to be true sons of the
Father who is in heaven (cf. Mt. 5:45).